1. Field
This disclosure relates to generating traffic for testing a network or network device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many types of communications networks, each message to be sent is divided into portions of fixed or variable length. These portions may be referred to as packets, frames, cells, datagrams, or data units, all of which are referred to herein as packets. Communications networks that transmit messages as packets are called packet switched networks.
Each packet contains a portion of the original message, commonly called the body of the packet. In addition, each packet contains identification and routing information, commonly called a packet header. The packets are then sent individually over the network through multiple switches or nodes and then reassembled at a final destination using the information contained in the packet headers, before being delivered to a target device or end user. At the receiving end, the reassembled message is passed to the end user in a format compatible with the user's equipment.
The body of a packet may contain data, or may contain voice or video information. In situations where real-time video or voice information being transmitted over a packet-switch network, it is desirable that the packets be delivered at a constant rate with minimum time delay. The delay time is commonly termed “latency” and the temporal departure from a constant delivery rate is commonly termed “jitter”. Methods and apparatus are needed to precisely measured latency and jitter of networks and network devices.